FOLLOW US: Not a Rich Kid - Instagram Tony Ayers on Surviving Instability, Finding Story, and Building an Australian Screen Career In this episode of Not a Rich Kid, host Kath Dolheguy sits down with acclaimed writer, director, producer and showrunner Tony Ayres. Arriving in Australia from Macau at age three, Tony grew up in poverty, living in housing commission flats, above fruit shops, and in the back rooms of Chinese restaurants while his mother battled severe mental health challenges. After losing his mother at 12 and his stepfather three years later, Tony experienced homelessness before being taken in by a high school teacher who helped him finish his education. Driven by imagination and a fierce sense of agency, Tony channelled his early instability into storytelling, first as a survival mechanism, and eventually as a career. Free tertiary education allowed him to attend university and art school, setting him on a path that would lead to some of Australiaâs most celebrated screen work, including The Home Song Stories, The Slap, Stateless, and Clickbait.Tony reflects on class mobility, imposter syndrome, the inequities of the screen industry, and the importance of telling stories that broaden Australiaâs cultural mosaic. His journey from underclass beginnings to creative leadership, including co-founding Matchbox Pictures, is a testament to resilience, craft, and the power of being told, at the right moment, âyou can write.â The episode notes the season is recorded on Wurundjeri land and supported by City of Melbourne Arts Grants, with studio space from the Victorian College of the Arts. 00:00 Welcome to Not a Rich Kid + Meet Tony Ayers (Matchbox, The Slap, The Survivors) 02:01 Early Life: Migrating from Macau & Growing Up in Poverty and Instability 03:27 Chaos at Home: Mental Health, Sister as Protector, and Learning Hypervigilance 06:04 Story as Survival: Comics, Martial Arts Fantasies, and the Drive to Excel at School 10:13 Loss, Shame & Steel: Mumâs Death, Bullying, and Refusing SelfâPity 14:47 High School Survival: Stepdad, Homelessness, and Teachers Who Stepped In 22:37 Escape Plan: Scholarships, ANU, BurnoutâThen Finding Chosen Family at Uni 26:45 Class Transition 101: Learning âMiddleâClassâ Life (Dinner Parties, Norms, Cultural Capital) 31:23 Education as a Lifeline: Free Uni, Debt Fear, and Why Access Matters 34:18 No Plan, Just Stories: From Art School to ScreenâWriting, Postmodern âB******t,â and Not Dropping Out 37:05 From Art School to Storytelling: When Words Took Over the Pictures 37:40 Applying to VCA: The Portfolio That Got Him In 38:50 Choosing Screenwriting (and the Teacher Who Changed Everything) 41:07 Fear of Finishing: Perfectionism, Validation, and Learning the Process 44:35 First TV Breakthrough: âThe Long Rideâ and Writing What You Know 47:06 Slow-and-Steady Career, No Safety Net: Risk, Class, and Imposter Feelings 50:17 Self-Worth vs Entitlement: Power, Inequality, and Who Gets to Make Screen Work 55:25 Class on Screen: Why TV Defaults to Aspiration (and How to Show Real Lives) 59:10 Whatâs Missing in Australian TV + Comfort Watches and Relationship TV Habits 01:01:25 Odd Jobs, Class Signals, and Marginality in the Arts 01:06:27 Looking Ahead: Writing a Book, Being Seen in Art, and a Working-Class Recommendation 01:10:18 Final Thanks & Credits Get in touch: Are you a working class person who wants to pursue a creative career but don't know where to start? Get in touch via instagram - we'd be happy to give you some advice. Tell us who you would like to hear from. Is there someone we should invite on the podcast? Let us know! The Not a Rich Kid Team: Kath Dolheguy Frankie Kanatas Sarah Ryan-Linstrom Post audio - Mike Tillbrook Theme song: âBarry Michael Takes a Trainâ by Sand Pebbles - Written & performed by Ben Michael and performed and mixed by Murray Ono Jamieson. Not a Rich Kid would not be possible without the support of: VCA who provided studio space City of Melbourne Arts Grants Supported by the City of Melbourne Arts Grants
